Brett Favre, former Green Bay Packers quarterback, has revealed his recent Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Favre is the only athlete in history to win three consecutive NFL Most Valuable athlete awards (1995–1997). The 54-year-old confessed his condition in court during an ongoing benefit fraud prosecution.
Brett Favre, former Green Bay Packers quarterback, has stated that he has Parkinson’s disease. Favre, 54, who won a Super Bowl with the Packers in 1997 and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2016, told a Congressional hearing in an ongoing welfare fraud case that he had recently been diagnosed with the condition.
Last year, the Mississippi Department of Human Services filed a civil case against Favre for allegedly misusing federal assistance monies.
The Mississippi state auditor is pursuing Favre for $727,000 (£543,000) in interest, despite his denial of any wrongdoing and lack of criminal charges. He told the panel that he was a big investor in a now-defunct drug business looking for a way to treat concussions.
Favre stated: “Unfortunately, I also lost an investment in a business that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion medicine that would benefit others. “I’m sure you’ll understand, while it’s too late for me because I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, this is also a cause dear to my heart.”
Favre played for the Packers for 16 seasons until being traded to the New York Jets in 2007 and spending the final two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He is the first player to have won three consecutive NFL Most Valuable Player awards, from 1995 to 1997.
